Through a 2013 grant, students have researched, studied and created a biofuel that is intended for use in university vehicles once out of the testing stages. This particular biofuel is created from a waste product that was slated to be thrown away and will decrease the university's fuel intake.

(U.S.): A graduate student recently developed an forestry project in Uganda in an effort to balance the effects of carbon emissions generated by university air travel. Micro-finance groups were also set up to create paid jobs for women who work on this project.

(Canada): The university recently launched the ECOLE initiative, after three years in the pilot stage. This initiative allows students to examine sustainable living in urban communities, learn about clean energy and green produce and conduct community events.

In an effort to provide a sustainable garden and food source to the campus, the university had students plant fall crops for harvesting in November and December. This garden will also encourage healthy eating habits.

The university’s new student-led food rescue and distribution operation will turn wasted food into meals for those in need while creating opportunities for student leadership and empowerment, service learning opportunities and additional community partnerships, to promote sustainability throughout the campus to community.

In order to increase the variety of products and price points to consumers at the university, the Fair Trade Student Association will soon begin a campaign to increase the availability of eco-friendly products by laborers who were treated fairly and ethically.

Five college undergrads will take part in green activities at a new affinity house focused on sustainability, such as recycling and tracking their energy use, developing a relevant event for students on campus, and writing a grant application for a capital item for the house, such as a solar panel.

(U.S.): University students have set out to close the gap between the food on the plate and where the food is grown in a new “Know Your Grower Atlanta” campaign sparking conversations and connections related to the local food process.

(India): The college recently started a month-long campaign to spread awareness about the harmful effects of the use of pesticides and additives and to promote the use of purely organic farming methods by having students pass out organic kits and provide student access to an organic farm on campus.

A student recently accepted into National Wildlife Federation’s Emerging Leaders Fellowship Program conducted research and analysis about implementation of solar-powered street lights and is finishing the feasibility analysis and presenting it to the university.

Sustainability interns have cultivated a rooftop garden, with more than 100 pounds of produce donated to campus dining, and are preparing a sustainability plan using skills learned in the sustainability studies program.

In its first year out of the pilot program, the college offers students the opportunity to increase knowledge and hands on learning about sustainable food through managing the daily operations of the garden in collaboration with Dining Services. Harvested food is donated to local nonprofits or sold to students.

(India): In an effort to become more environmentally-friendly, service-learning students from the Botany Department course on Waste Paper Management collect paper materials used across all departments and recycles it into paper for college invitations and program brochures.

The new student garden was started by Natural Connections, a student organization concerned with community gardens and nutritional education for students, for the purpose of learning about growing, cooking and harvesting their own food.

After students of the Fair Trade-status university organized a Fair Trade Club, select participants traveled to Ecuador for a service-learning opportunity with a foundation from which the college procures tea.

After a recent educational trip to garbage-infested beaches of Mexico, the senior marine conservation student recently created an application to turn recycling into a competition with users challenging each other on a virtual platform.

After mining the university's bronze STARS submission, a new undergraduate course through the School of Environment and Sustainability involved teams working on self-selected projects that could help the university move its official rating up.

(U.S.): The university's Sustainability Office recently took over Graduation Pledge for Social and Environmental Responsibility and was able to secure signatures for 90 percent of the spring 2014 graduating class. The pledge reads, "I pledge to explore and take into account the social and environmental consequences of any job I consider and will try to improve these aspects of any organizations for which I work."

This spring, aided by the professor's desire to generate real-world sustainability experience, 15 students in a quality control in food and bioprocessing science class focused on improving sustainability in the university-owned creamery by researching the facility’s processes and choosing to focus on enhancing efficiency of the case washer, which cleanses reusable plastic cases that transport milk.

Designed with support from the university's Office of Sustainability, students from an introductory environmental studies course tested the new app, called Sustainable U, which directs players to find signs posted in campus buildings and scan a code with their mobile device to pull up information, videos or games related to waste, energy, water or transportation.

(U.K.): Attempting to infuse sustainability into curriculum, students have held lively debates about animal testing in the cosmetics industry, the ethics behind hair extensions, and examining exactly what goes into everyday beauty products.

(U.S.): Spring semester students worked in teams to collect data, research best practices, and develop recommendations regarding strategies for the City of Columbus related to climate change adaptation, urban agriculture, alternative vehicles and green buildings.

(U.S.): The U.S. Department of Energy awarded the first place standing to the university after achieving the highest amount of points through performance testing, business plans and market opportunities for their turbine designs. The University of Kansas and University of Massachusetts at Lowell were second and third respectively.

With hopes its farm will produce enough organic vegetables to be brought to local markets, the new one-acre farm is used for research on sustainable farming methods by the college's Sustainability Club.

During the spring 2014 semester, a class from the university's Environment, Economy, Development and Sustainability program worked with a local materials company to develop strategic sustainability initiatives for which the company can use to engage stakeholders.

Grand winners of the U.S. Department of Energy's Challenge Home Student Design Competition are State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry in partnership with Onondaga Community College and Ryerson University. In its inaugural year, 28 teams from U.S. and Canadian universities competed to develop cost-effective zero energy ready homes for mainstream builders. Other categories include Best Design Solution Integration, Best Technical Integration, Best Presentation, Best Production Home Integration and Special Recognition for Subject Area Excellence.

Recently announced are four winners of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's competition to engage college and university students in reinventing the nation's water infrastructure and developing innovative green infrastructure systems to reduce stormwater pollution and build resilience to climate change. The winners are University of Florida at Gainsville; Kansas State Univerity; Michigan State University; and Mississippi State University.

(U.S.): The recently started student club helps bring awareness and education to the campus and surrounding community and has several projects underway including initiating a recycling and tree planting program.

(U.S.): A team of university graduate students took top honors at the 12th annual ULI Gerald D. Hines Student Urban Design Competition, which asked the student teams to submit a development proposal that would promote healthy living for the residents of a Nashville neighborhood. Georgia Institute of Technology, Harvard University, and the University of Texas at Austin each received $10,000.

University of Colorado at Boulder, University of Colorado at Denver, Iowa State University and University of New Mexico were represented at the CU Cleantech New Venture Challenge. The seven groups representing the universities presented solutions to pressing sustainability issues. The winning team receives $100,000 seed funding and a chance to compete at the national competition in Washington, D.C.

In an effort to grow the culture of sustainability, the four-tiered pilot program for students is designed to encourage sustainable actions across campus including residence halls, classroom, bathrooms and dining halls.

The university's Geographic Informations Systems students have inventoried the 2,333 campus trees and produced a website where users have access to identifying information including its measurements, health and recent treatment.

The living and learning group recently traveled to Boston to learn how the city embraces sustainability through its Greenovate Boston program. The trip included learning about sustainability at Harvard University, The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston College and Boston Architectural College.

Part of a Stanford Green Fund Project, the university's Graduate School of Business organized the week-long series of events, which seeks to highlight the urgency and opportunity of climate change and engage the campus community in solutions-based thinking.

Subscribe

Subscribe to the email version of the AASHE Bulletin, curated and delivered weekly.

About AASHE

The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education is a membership association of colleges & universities, businesses, and nonprofits who are working together to lead the sustainability transformation. Learn more about AASHE's mission.